In 2010, a 65 year old retired mother with a PhD joined forces with her two sons to start one of the first direct-to-consumer bag brands. Here’s their story…so far.
Helen Lo
When Helen Lo had back issues and needed the perfect bag that kept up with her frequent travels, she set out to find it. Unfortunately, the options were either too heavy, too frumpy, too tech-y, overly designed, or pocketless black holes. She felt like she was always dragging, lugging, and schlepping her bags around. And she quickly discovered that she wasn’t alone in feeling that way.
Two Devoted Sons
After watching his mother abandon yet another bag, Helen's eldest son Jan suggested she invent one herself. But as a woman in her mid-60s, she wondered how she would ever get from Point A to Point B. Jan did the consumer research, product design, and helped lead the charge in finding a manufacturer. Derek joined the efforts and helped build a website, develop the branding, and execute a marketing strategy. Both devoted sons set out to help make Helen’s dream a reality.
Self Made
In 2010, the Lo's bootstrapped their business, invested their own savings, and created Lo & Sons. Without a formal business plan, they organically grew their business to a globally recognized brand that’s now been featured in The Today Show, Forbes, The New York Times, Fast Company, Business Insider, Vogue, Refinery29, Travel+Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and more.
In Memory of Fred Lo
In December 2016, Fred Lo passed away. He was a distinguished astronomer, the chairman of our board of directors, and one of the most instrumental figures in the launch and success of Lo & Sons.
